Bubbly Baked Goods: Make These Kombucha Muffins
Award-winning food photographer, stylist and recipe developer Jerrelle Guy is founder of the popular food blog Chocolate for Basil. Her new collection of recipes, Black Girl Baking, is a wonderful, heartfelt journey through her relationship with food and cooking, and a worthy addition to your culinary library. Ever made kombucha muffins? We haven't either — let's get baking!
I'm obsessed with kombucha, the fermented tea drink. I drink it like I used to drink soda as a kid: at least once a day. I crave the feeling of that cold, carbonated liquid hitting my chest, giving me the sensation it's opening my lungs for the first time that day...it's addictive. I love watching the agitated bubbles rise to the lip of the bottle, too. I can tell it's going to be a gusher when the cap is bulging before I even open the bottle. I thought I could use the carbonation and acid to make some kind of quick bread or breakfast muffin. So this is my tea-twist on the Irish soda bread I come across so often here in Boston.
Alternative Fats: You can use melted dairy-free butter or a neutral oil like grapeseed, safflower, sunflower or canola oil.
- 3 cups white whole wheat flour or spelt flour
- 4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup agave or honey
- 1 16-ounce bottle plain kombucha
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Oil the wells of a muffin tin and have it nearby.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Pour the melted butter and agave over the dry ingredients, and then pour in the kombucha. Whisk the mixture until just combined. Don’t overmix or your muffins will be tough.
- Immediately divide the mixture among the muffin wells, and bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and finish cooking for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The initial high heat of the oven will make sure the muffins pop out over the edges of the pan.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm with more softened butter, if you like.